What a difference a weekend can make.
Just think, last Friday a pro-health-care group, Vermont Leads, was getting all kinds of criticism because they held a rally at a park near Lenore Broughton's house in Burlington, and then walked down to her house to deliver an invitation to discuss single payer health care. After all, this was seen as the kind of thing we just don't do in Vermont, although we put up a spirited defense here at GMD. Over at The Scoreboard, Seven Days reporter Paul Heintz called it “pretty shabby”, saying, “There are better ways to make your point than to hassle someone at their house.“
Well, things are looking a little different today. The campaign finance reports are out and they show that Miss Daisy has dumped another $548,000 into the Vermonters First bank account, for a total so far approaching three quarters of a million dollars.
I don't know if there are any formal rules to this, but if you can afford to write a check out of your personal fortune that is greater than the per capita income of twenty-three individual Vermonters (or, if you'd rather think of it this way, more than a dollar for every man, woman, and child in the state), I think it has to be recognized that you're now playing in the big leagues.
Or, to put it another way, if you're shelling out that kind of cash to buy elections in Vermont you've officially signed up to be a public figure.
That does not make it right to protest outside her house or the house of any public figure, big or small.
Best,
Ed
JV – I agree that what is going on with campaign finance is abhorrent, but two wrongs don’t make a right (although two rights made a plane). Amazingly I got Lenore’s email from the Front Porch Forum where she has posted a number of times through the years. I wrote to her the other day and she wrote back!
Sue – Strenously disagreeing does not make your position any stronger. I understand you are upset, but flyers and telephone calls simply do not equate in-person picketing.
Jack – Brother, let’s not try spin on each other. Pomeroy Park is in the middle of a residential neighborhood. The protesters would have reached a much broader audience in City Hall Park, Battery Park or Church Street. However it happens to be right around the corner from Lenore. In respect to delivering a letter, the USPS can do that and amazingly they only use one person.
if we insert the names of two prominent disgustingly rich brothers from texas who are buying a national election and just as unreachable?? No one gets the chance to visit their street. I suspect if Lenore had been home the BPD taser patrol would have been fast to arrive.
It isnt the person, it is the supreme court and that bitch of a Citizens United decision. It is that if Mittens gets elected Citizens United will be the Camels nose under the tent as far as corporate and monied interests buying our elections.
The best way to win is not to cheat on the field (Florida and Ohio). The best way to win is to be the guy who makes the rules. One more supreme court appointment and the motto will just be “from the many” Then it doesnt matter who gets elected, the game will be way to rigged to change.